Lincoln County, Tennessee

History

Lincoln County was created in 1809 from parts of Bedford County. The land occupied by the county was part of a land cession obtained from the Cherokee and Chickasaw in 1806.

The Lincoln County Process, used in the distillation of Tennessee whiskey, is named for this county, as the Jack Daniel Distillery was originally located there. However, a subsequent redrawing of county lines resulted in the establishment of adjacent Moore County, which includes the location of the distillery. Another distillery opened in Lincoln County in 1997 – the Benjamin Pritchard's Distillery. However, it does not use the Lincoln County Process for making its Tennessee whiskey. When a law was established in 2013 to require the Lincoln County Process to be used for making all Tennessee whiskey, the Benjamin Pritchard's Distillery was exempted by a grandfather clause. Southern Pride Distillery is the only Lincoln County distillery still using the Lincoln County Process for whiskey making.

On March 5, 2017, a poultry farm that distributes products to Tyson Foods was confirmed to have a reported a case of Influenza A virus subtype H7N9 detected in birds resulting in the slaughter of 74,000 chickens.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 571 sqmi, of which 570 sqmi are land and 0.4 sqmi (0.07%) are water.

Adjacent counties

• Bedford County (north)
• Moore County (northeast)
• Franklin County (east)
• Madison County, Alabama (south)
• Limestone County, Alabama (southwest)
• Giles County (west)
• Marshall County (northwest)

State protected areas

• Flintville Hatchery Wildlife Management Area

Demographics

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2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 35,319 people, 14,395 households, and 9,264 families residing in the county. The median age was 43.5 years, with 22.2% of residents under the age of 18 and 20.2% 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.5 males age 18 and over.

Of those households, 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 49.8% were married-couple households, 18.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 15,958 housing units, of which 9.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.3% were owner-occupied and 26.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.3%.

The racial makeup of the county was 85.5% White, 6.2% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.4% from some other race, and 5.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.6% of the population.

28.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 71.3% lived in rural areas.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 33,361 people, 15,241 households, and 4,239 families residing in the county. The population density was 55 /mi2. There were 13,999 housing units at an average density of 24 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 89.45% White, 6.80% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.10% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. 2.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 15,241 households, out of which 28% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58% were married couples living together, 11% had a female head of household with no husband present, and 27% were non-families. 25% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24% under the age of 18, 8% from 18 to 24, 28% from 25 to 44, 25% from 45 to 64, and 16% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,434, and the median income for a family was $41,454. Males had a median income of $30,917 versus $21,722 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,837. About 10% of families and 14% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17% of those under age 18 and 20% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Prior to 1968, Lincoln County was a Democratic Party stronghold in presidential elections similar to most other counties in the Solid South. The county backed segregationist George Wallace in 1968, but despite voting Republican for the first time in Richard Nixon’s 49-state 1972 landslide, remained Democratic-leaning up to 1992. Since then, it has become a Republican Party stronghold, with its candidates winning the county by increasing margins with each succeeding presidential election starting with 1996.

The governing body of Lincoln County is the Lincoln County Commission, which is divided into eight districts and 24 commissioners, three from each district. The body is chaired by the County Mayor. The government center of Lincoln County is the Lincoln County Courthouse in Fayetteville.

Communities

Cities

• Ardmore, Tennessee (partial)
• Fayetteville (county seat)

Town

• Petersburg (partial)

Census-designated places

• Blanche
• Dellrose
• Flintville
• Park City
• Taft

Other unincorporated communities

• Belleville
• Booneville
• Elora
• Kelso
• Kirkland
• Mimosa
• Mulberry
• New Dellrose
• Shady Grove

Education

Education in Lincoln County is mostly led by the Lincoln County Department of Education (LCDOE).

Schools in the Lincoln County District

High schools (9 - 12)

• Lincoln County High School (Tennessee)

Elementary schools/Middle schools (PK - 8)

• Highland Rim Elementary/Middle School
• South Lincoln Elementary/Middle School
• Flintville Elementary/Middle School
• Unity Elementary/Middle School
• Blanche Elementary/Middle School

Schools in the Fayetteville City District

• Ralph Askins School (Pre-K - 5)
• Fayetteville Middle School (6 - 8)
• Fayetteville High School (9 - 12)

References

References

1. Jack Towry and June Towry, "[http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=789 Lincoln County]," ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture''. Retrieved: October 21, 2013.
2. "QuickFacts: Lincoln County, Tennessee".
3. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
5. Gannett, Henry. (1905). "The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States". U.S. Government Printing Office.
6. (March 8, 2017). "74,000 Tyson-owned birds depopulated in Lincoln County, Tennessee Avian Flu outbreak". [[Food Safety News]].
7. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
10. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
11. (April 2, 2001). "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
12. "Explore Census Data".
13. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
14. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
15. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
16. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
17. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".